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CLK63 Black Series at the Track

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Old 04-14-2008, 07:50 PM
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CLK63 Black Series at the Track

Has anyone tracked their AMG 63 BS? What was your optimum tire pressures after heating up the tires? I started out with the recommended pressures but after a few laps they were to high and dialed them back to 43 front 40 back. Appreciate feed back... thanks
Old 04-15-2008, 09:40 AM
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Originally Posted by arcspark
Has anyone tracked their AMG 63 BS? What was your optimum tire pressures after heating up the tires? I started out with the recommended pressures but after a few laps they were to high and dialed them back to 43 front 40 back. Appreciate feed back... thanks
I have had mine on the track last fall, but this is a question that can not really be answered. Optimum tire PSI will vary from track to track, day to day, there are so many factors that afffect tire PSI, barometer, air temp, track temp, track composition and suspension settings as well as another big factor....driving style. I ended up only running a pound less in the rear on the day I ran, if I recall I was at 42/41. I too started running the higher recomended pressure and the front end pushed a lot. As for the rears, no mater what I did they where not hooking up. I am now running the wider Dymags (11" rears) which allow me to run a 305 on thear and I am running the DOTR Corsas, this should offer a huge advantage over the stock running gear.
Old 08-17-2008, 02:27 AM
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Amg Clk 63 Black Series
Hi,
What are you running on the front ?
Old 09-14-2008, 03:35 PM
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CLK 63 AMG Black Series
Originally Posted by arcspark
Has anyone tracked their AMG 63 BS? What was your optimum tire pressures after heating up the tires? I started out with the recommended pressures but after a few laps they were to high and dialed them back to 43 front 40 back. Appreciate feed back... thanks
I started at Road America at 41 front 39 rear, cold. After 25 min lapping, I observed 53 left front, 52.5 right front and 51 rear -- Too high!

Subsequent run sessions, after taking two pounds out, finished at 51.5 LF/51 RF and 49 R. I'm targeting to finish hot at 50 front and 48 rear. Sidewall scrub marks are about where they should be, so I don't want to be too soft. Neither do I want to end much over the recommended max pressure of 50.

So, I'll start next track event: 39 front and 38 rear.
Old 09-14-2008, 04:36 PM
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Originally Posted by GoFastKindaGuy
I started at Road America at 41 front 39 rear, cold. After 25 min lapping, I observed 53 left front, 52.5 right front and 51 rear -- Too high!

Subsequent run sessions, after taking two pounds out, finished at 51.5 LF/51 RF and 49 R. I'm targeting to finish hot at 50 front and 48 rear. Sidewall scrub marks are about where they should be, so I don't want to be too soft. Neither do I want to end much over the recommended max pressure of 50.

So, I'll start next track event: 39 front and 38 rear.
How did the car run for you? What kind of lap times did you turn?

Have you made any adjustments to your suspension yet? Sorry for all the questions!!!
Old 09-14-2008, 05:53 PM
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CLK 63 AMG Black Series
Originally Posted by AMG Dictator
How did the car run for you? What kind of lap times did you turn?

Have you made any adjustments to your suspension yet?
I started out just learning the car. This was my first outing with the CLK BS on the track. I had a hard time at first adjusting to a front engined automatic in the rain. Lap times were the farthest from my mind.

I had to focus on getting into the right gear with the time-lagged paddle shifters. I realized how dependent I have become on hearing the engine revs. First sessions, I seemed to be in the wrong gear all the time because I couldn't hear over the wind. After some time, I got better, but not good. I seriously prefer a stick to this slush box.

Thank God the rain stopped and the track dried out. Then I had some good fun. Finally, I got comfortable trail braking into slower corners and tossing this machine around a little. Ended with a serious smile.

In my opinion, the CLK is a notch below the GT3 RS and five or six below the CGT (but that is not really a fair comparison).
Old 09-14-2008, 07:29 PM
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CLK 63 AMG Black
I find that when I bleed down the tires to avoid going over the posted recs, i wind up with 40 front and 35 rear, when things cool down. If you start with 49 in the front, things get a bit greasy in the front after a few laps, so i continue bleeding down til it feels balanced. Surprisingly, that results in the recommended cold pressures, AFTER they heat up. Anybody else have better hot (or cold) numbers"?
ps
I can't drive on the track with the traction control on. It is too intrusive, and applies brakes in the corners way too often. With the traction off, the tail comes out just a bit (or quite a lot if you want), but you can apply throttle out of the corners.
Anybody figure out the best way to use the paddles? AS
Old 09-15-2008, 12:56 AM
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Originally Posted by arcspark
Has anyone tracked their AMG 63 BS? What was your optimum tire pressures after heating up the tires? I started out with the recommended pressures but after a few laps they were to high and dialed them back to 43 front 40 back. Appreciate feed back... thanks

I've had the Pirelli tire engineer use 3.3 bars which is around 46 psi which was too high. I've settled around 42-45 hot in the front and 38-40 rear. I know these sound low, but the tire temps don't lie.

As Jrcart said, a lot depends on the track.

Jimmy
Old 09-15-2008, 01:30 AM
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Originally Posted by GoFastKindaGuy
I started out just learning the car. This was my first outing with the CLK BS on the track. I had a hard time at first adjusting to a front engined automatic in the rain. Lap times were the farthest from my mind.

I had to focus on getting into the right gear with the time-lagged paddle shifters. I realized how dependent I have become on hearing the engine revs. First sessions, I seemed to be in the wrong gear all the time because I couldn't hear over the wind. After some time, I got better, but not good. I seriously prefer a stick to this slush box.

Thank God the rain stopped and the track dried out. Then I had some good fun. Finally, I got comfortable trail braking into slower corners and tossing this machine around a little. Ended with a serious smile.

In my opinion, the CLK is a notch below the GT3 RS and five or six below the CGT (but that is not really a fair comparison).
GoFast,
FWIW, leaving the transmission in S would be a lot easier and faster than paddle shifting especially if your just getting use to a new configuration. Unless you have a lot of track time even pros are not much faster using the paddles. That was demonstrated to me with an AX22 data logger and a factory AMG test driver at the AMG Cup last year. I was over a second slower on a 2.2 mile road course using paddles.

I think as you get more seat time your opinion might change, as I've found I have no problem with GT3's on the track, although the RS is a little more hard core, its straight line speed is about the same and that's a race I'm looking forward to.

I'm wondering if your tracked your CGT in the rain, that would be a handful.

Jimmy
Old 09-15-2008, 01:17 PM
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CLK 63 AMG Black
Jim,
When you leave it in "s", do you manually downshift for corners, or let the trans do it? AS
Old 09-15-2008, 01:59 PM
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Originally Posted by alexander stemer
Jim,
When you leave it in "s", do you manually downshift for corners, or let the trans do it? AS

AS,
Actually I do both. Some corners I want to be on the power sooner I manually shift. My best times come from letting the transmission decide for me. I tend to be smoother and more forcused on the line rather than the gear.

Jimmy
Old 09-19-2008, 03:04 PM
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CLK 63 AMG Black Series
Originally Posted by Jim Brady
I'm wondering if your tracked your CGT in the rain, that would be a handful.
I have. It was! I don't want to anymore. Cost of screwing up is too high.
Old 09-20-2008, 02:14 AM
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Originally Posted by GoFastKindaGuy
I have. It was! I don't want to anymore. Cost of screwing up is too high.
I can't imagine! That thing must be an animal.

-AS

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